You got me there, it is conclusion that 98% of Americans would be suited by a VW Golf as their primary vehicle.

However, there is a real and substantial difference between a Golf and an Audi A8L. While they both get you from A to B, one is larger, more powerful, has AWD (the American Golf doesn't come with AWD) has a better radio, better safety features, etc. The difference between a 3K bike and a 10K bike is nowhere close to the magnitude of difference between differing classes of cars, electronics, industrial equipment, pick your poison. When it comes down to it, there is still a man or woman sitting on a two wheeled un-powered conveyance. The differences between the price classes don't change that paradigm. I am not saying there shouldn't be a 10K bike, but we need to be realistic about what you are actually getting for that money, and it ain't a great amount. If we build it up like it is a great amount, we have unwittingly justified the astronomical prices for companies that give us zero in the way of compensation.

Both...the only places there are external housing on that Stinner above for the shifters are between the brifters and the behind-the-stem cable housing stops...oh, and the rear derailleur loop. No different than an externally run cable, really...

The rear brake cable has a full housing run all the way to the bottom bracket...and you just push the housing in at the top and it comes out the bottom right at the brake.

The bike is set up so that the internal runs allow you to put the inner cable in at one end at it comes out right where it's needed at the other.

So...how much do you want to wager on this "race" ;-)

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http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/

That's true. My next aero road bike will likely be a Cervelo S5, because it doesn't have all the proprietary silliness.

That said, I have no problem with Trek and Specialized charging a hefty premium on very high end bikes so that they can recoup the non-recurring cost technologies that will eventually trickle down to the $2-3K range. I admire those who have the disposable income such that the hefty premium is barely noticeable to them.

That said, I think a shark may have been jumped in this case. So much proprietary stuff. I know a guy who has the new Madone, and he was bragging about it takes the Trek dealer an hour to add or remove a stem spacer. Right. I'd worry about breaking a brake part at some stage race not in the vicinity of a Trek/Spec. dealer. The Trek has this little door on the headtube that opens up on tight-radius turns so the cable doesn't bind. It's just so precious. And silly.

I gotcha, you see that in cars. Used to be that SatNav, climate control, heated mirrors, central locking, etc were reserved for the luxury brands. My beetle has literally all of those features plus google phone integration. Without the subsidy from the more expensive cars the tech trickle down would take a lot longer.

When I see comparable bikes and one is much more expensive, I reflexively say 'buy the cheaper one'. This is usually not seen between Trek, Spec, and Cervelo; but it certainly is true if we are Trek vs. Scott; Cervelo vs. Q-Roo; etc.

Spoiler alert, but one of the bikes won a race today even though it was an externally cabled version :)

So it seems the Felt AR and Cervelo S5 both with front end upgrades (TriRig brake and an integrated stem/aero handlebar setup) would narrow the 1w aero different Tour Magazine found recently, and yet allow you to wrench on the bike at home. Not to mention they are lighter and cheaper compared to the Madone and Venge ViAS.

It seems like this new iteration of high integration and use of proprietary parts by Trek and Specialized, really haven done much to improve upon what Felt and Cervelo already did.

I think that 1W difference was between the Trek and Specialized, not between an S5 and the Trek or Specialized.

saw that, so weird

Tour Magazine.

Trek Madone 204w
Specialized Venge ViAS 204w
Cervelo S5 205w
Felt AR 205w

Actually in Trek's own whitepaper there are data points where a stock AR2 ($6000) has less drag than the Madone. Even with an exposed Ultegra front brake and conventional, non-integrated stem.
Cervelo with those tri-rig upgrades you mentioned still appears to be the low-drag (<+/-3 deg) winner.

Those two bikes are leading the integration curve.

The bikes that I'm most curious about are the Canyon and Scott which take some of the cues of the Felt AR with the cable routing and direct mount brake, add integrated non-adjustable bars and still fall short on drag sweeps.

So you can buy that 1w savings from some of the bikes out there, but in many other cases, you actually end up with just a less adjustable product.

That new Canyon sure looks cool though.

-SD

Leaving aside the fact that all non-blinded rider feedback is BS, the Canyon sure does ride nice. Fast too. And impressively stable in strong crosswinds.

I've never had the opportunity to evaluate one empirically but I rode them all day last year at Eurobike's Demo Day because it really is my only chance to do so being based in the US. I was impressed by small details that are often overlooked on product design and other than a bit of wag on out-of-the-saddle efforts I agree with your ride assessment. Having nice rubber on their test bikes helped, too.

One thing that the AR and S5 don't really have is much industrial and cosmetic styling. These are form follows function designs. For those looking for a little more flavor/spice the Pina F8 and Canyon may be a better balance of beauty and brains.

I'm a consumer who using a bicycle like a tool thus I'm less concerned with those fashionable virtues.

Do you own a Canyon?

-SD

Oh, come on now...you don't bike like a tool THAT much... ;-)

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http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/

Yep, I own the Aeroad CF SLX in question :)